1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an exposure control system for a photographic camera apparatus and, more particularly, to an exposure control system for a photographic carmera apparatus utilizing a single latch mechanism to latch up both an automatic lens focusing system and a shutter blade mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Photographic camera apparatus embodying shutter blade mechanisms of the scanning type as well as rotatable lens mechanisms which may be automatically focused in accordance with the determined camera-to-subject range are well known in the art as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,587, entitled "Proportional Fill Flash", by A. LaRocque et al., issued Mar. 11, 1980, in common assignment herewith and now incorporated by reference herein. Such scanning shutter blade mechanisms are generally spring driven from a scene light blocking position toward a maximum aperture defining position and thereafter returned to the scene light blocking position by energization of a solenoid. Since continued energization of the solenoid to maintain the shutter blade mechanism in its scene light blocking position when the camera is not in use would result in premature failure of the battery, such systems are ordinarily provided with a shutter latch mechanism that operates to maintain the shutter blade mechanism in its scene light blocking position after the solenoid is deenergized. Such cameras also employ rotatable lens disks or the like which may be rotatably driven to the appropriate focal position whereupon the lens disk is latched in place for the duration of the exposure cycle. At the end of the exposure cycle, the lens disk may be unlatched and returned to its original position in readiness for the next succeeding exposure cycle. In order to latch the lens disk at its appropriate focal position during the exposure cycle, it has been necessary to provide a separate latching mechanism apart from the shutter blade latching mechanisms. Thus, the provision of dual latching mechanisms for both the shutter blade mechanism and the lens disk can result in an undue mechanical complexity and expense.
Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an exposure control system for photograhic camera apparatus in which the latching mechanisms for the shutter blade mechanism and an automatically focused lens system are integrated into a unified simple mechanism.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an exposure control system for a photographic camera apparatus in which a single latch mechanism operates to latch both an automatically focused lens system during the exposure cycle and the shutter blade mechanism at the end of the exposure cycle.
Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises a mechanism and system possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure.